AP Exclusive: Mom of Assaulted Teen Speaks Out

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The mother of a teenage girl who was raped at a south Tulsa megachurch has told The Associated Press that she believed she was doing the right thing by sending her daughter to a place where she would learn traditional Bible Belt values.

But now, she alleges that leaders at the 17,000-member Victory Christian Center have attempted to manipulate the girl.

The 13-year-old's mother is suing the ministry. The lawsuit says church employees tried to cover up the sexual abuse by not reporting the rape to the authorities while they did an in-house investigation aimed at damage control.

The suit also alleges the church attempted to make her daughter feel as if she was somehow to blame for the assault.